


Purple and Green

by Paige242



Category: Fate: The Winx Saga (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29480316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paige242/pseuds/Paige242
Summary: A series of one shots about Sam and Musa.Part One: A Dream of WingsPart Two: The QuakePart Three: Wings (I)Part Four: FamilyPart Five: First World
Relationships: Sam Harvey & Musa, Sam Harvey/Musa
Comments: 12
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I enjoyed the show but know nothing about the original series. Apologies for any mistakes or inaccuracies.

“Sure, it would be weird at first but I think it would be fun.” Musa paused as she rolled over onto her stomach, the warm duvet still covering most of her body. 

She propped her chin on her elbows and looked towards her boyfriend. 

Sam remained on his back, gazing up at the stone ceiling of his subterranean dorm. 

“Bloom has been out flying almost every night since her first transformation. And Stella has been joining her since she got her wings too.” 

Musa had never been the most adventurous, preferring a quiet night in more often than not, but she’d felt a few pangs of jealousy in recent weeks as she’d listened to her two suite mates talk about their latest adventures. 

Plus, there had been so much tension and uncertainty looming over Alfea since Professor Dowling’s disappearance. Musa was eager for any distraction.

“I really don’t think I’d fancy it.” Sam shrugged, his eyes narrowing with thought. “I mean, heights aren’t really my thing. I’m pretty happy staying grounded.” 

Musa snorted at his choice of words. “Earth fairies.” She muttered with a playful eye roll. Terra had said more or less the same thing yesterday. 

It was no secret that Sam felt most at peace when he was firmly surrounded by earth. He’d even opted for this strange, semi-underground room that most students simply refused to inhabit. The thick stone walls of the place did not strike Musa as particularly homey, but Sam had assured her that he loved it down there. She could feel the peace radiating off of them every time they were here. 

She didn’t doubt the veracity of his words. 

“You might not have any say over the matter.” Musa pointed out before placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “No one knows why some fairies are starting to get their wings. It seems to happen at random, now that Bloom unlocked whatever ancient magic she unlocked that night.” She paused. “It is probably going to happen to all of us eventually.”

Sam’s mouth flattened into a straight line and she felt an uncharacteristic hint of worry rise within him. 

Maybe she shouldn’t have brought it up.

“I’ll just have to keep hoping that I’m somehow spared, I guess.” He commented, trying (and failing) to shrug nonchalantly. 

Musa doubted that would be the case. Most scholars seemed to think that it was inevitable for all fairies now that the ancient magic was unleashed. It was probably only a matter of time. Sam was most definitely a fairy- from a long line of fairies. 

Personally, she thought he’d look rather cute with his own pair of strong wings. But this did not seem like the right time to tell him that. 

The boy let out a long sigh before a very faint smile twitched at the side of his lips.

“I’m sure my wings would be some terrible shade of dirt brown or something,” he scoffed at the thought, but she was glad to pick up on a hint of amusement. “Hopefully we’ll all be spared from that sight.” 

Musa rolled her eyes. She doubted that. Sure, Bloom’s shone orange with fire and Stella’s twinkled with a luminescent gold- but she certainly did not think that Sam’s would be dirt-brown. He may have been an earth fairy, but that colour simply didn’t suit him. 

“No. They’ll be green, like your eyes when you do magic,” she muttered, instantly regretting that she had spoken aloud. “I love that colour,” she finished awkwardly. 

She knew he didn’t want to talk about it and she didn’t know why she was pushing it. 

Thankfully, he didn’t seem upset. Sam very rarely was.

“Oh really?” He asked, allowing his eyes to flash green with fairy magic. “I didn’t know you loved that colour.” He shot her a sly smile. 

The same smile that always made her knees go weak.

“Of course I do,” she conceded, leaning forward to place a playful peck on his cheek. “It makes me think of spring, and joy, and warmth,” she paused, knowing that she sounded like a hopeless romantic. “It makes me think of you.” 

Sam grinned.

“I’ve had quite a thing for purple lately, I have to admit.” 

“Good,” she laughed, making her own eyes flash with magic. “And I hope you’ll like it when I sprout a pair of purple wings too.” 

“They’ll suit you far more than they’d suit me,” he replied quickly, “and if makes you happy, I look forward to seeing it.” 

She gave him another playful kiss.

She could picture it now. 

Purple and green. 

Rising up towards the sunset.


	2. The Quake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for the reviews of part one :) Hope you enjoy part two.  
> Sam gets a new power and Musa helps.

The ground rumbled as Musa took a cautious step forward.

“Stop. Please. Stay back.”

She had never heard such desperation in his voice and, even from several metres away, she could feel the anxiety radiating off him.

It was so unsettling to see him like this. To feel what he was feeling. The calm and peaceful boy she had fallen for was shaken to his core.

Sam was terrified.

Musa had known that something was amiss when he hadn’t showed up for their lunch date. Sam was never late and, when she reached out with her senses, she could not feel his regular soothing presence anywhere nearby. Finally, after much channelling and searching, she had managed to find him. She’d latched on to the glimmer of familiarity and had followed her inclinations all the way out to the edge of the woods. He had been crouched against a large stone, starring down towards a rough gash in the ground with fear in his eyes.

She had seen a flicker of green and felt the earth shake beneath her feet when he looked up. It had not taken her long to piece everything together.

“Musa, please, I’m dangerous.”

The girl did her best to ignore another crack that seemed to be forming on the ground beside her. The one closest to Sam was quite large, and probably pretty deep. Truth be told, she could feel her own trepidation growing. But she owed it to him to bring a sense of calm to the situation.

He had always been her stable rock. It was her turn to repay the favour.

“You’re not dangerous, Sam, you just need to figure out a way to control your new power,” she paused as she inched a bit closer. “I can help you, I promise.”

If he let her get close enough she was pretty sure that she could use her own powers to help him regain control of his emotions. Magic and emotion were closely linked and, if Sam lost himself in a sea of worry, there was no way he would be able to reign himself in.

The ground continued to shake and she could see his eyes begin to glow once more. Something was building within him, and she knew that her time was limited.

Drawing a breath, Musa began to sprint forward. The earth rumbled, stronger and stronger, and she heard him shout out a forceful “no” as a jagged piece of rock suddenly burst out of the soil beside her. It was close, but not close enough.

She dodged. Once. Twice. Three times.

Until finally she was able to reach out towards him. The chasm beside him cracked further apart but, with one final leap, she found herself at his side, breathing heavily against the rock as she tired to recover from her daring sprint.

“Musa, you shouldn’t have come,” Sam turned to her, his face etched with fear.

Unperturbed, she grabbed his arm, her own magic rushing forth as she tried to take on some of the burden he felt. The anxiety and worry seemed to radiate off of him, but Musa happily took some of it in. She was used to this feeling, as terrible as it was. And the negative feelings mixed with relief as she began to feel his rapid heartbeat slow.

It was working. She was sharing the burden and bringing him down off the ledge.

The earthquake gave one final rumble and Sam’s eyes faded back to their regular comforting brown.

For a moment, there was silence.

“My god, Musa,” he whispered, his voice a mixture of relief and exasperation, “You shouldn’t have done that. I could have killed you.”

She did her best to smile. “I’m too stubborn to die,” she quipped, her hand still firmly latched around his arm. He did not smile back, clearly too unnerved to make light of the situation in any way. “What happened?” She pressed.

The boy drew a deep breath and she could feel the unhappy memory surging within him. “I was on my way to meet you and,” he paused, shaking his head in disbelief, “I don’t know really. Something just started surging inside of me. I could feel my magic suddenly wanting to burst out. And then it did. The earth started shaking and I cracked some of the stones in the courtyard. And as soon as I realized what I was doing, I ran. I didn’t want to be near anyone. I couldn’t control it.” He paused again, raising a trembling hand to cup the side of her cheek.

Musa nodded, understanding in a way that only another fairy could. New powers often came on quickly, and without any warning. She could still remember the terrible moment that her empathy had hit. It had been weeks before she had been able to function with her new reality. 

“It’ll be okay, Sam,” she said softly, pulling towards him and resting her head against his firm shoulder. “These things just take a bit of time.”

Silence fell once more and she could tell that he was deep in thought.

“I was happy with how things were,” he admitted quietly, his voice still thick with emotion. He sounded almost ashamed by this confession. “I was fine with one little power. I never really wanted to be anything more. I’ve always just been…content.”

She nodded into his chest.

“I know.”

“And now, all of a sudden, I can send ripples of power through the earth. Create big gaping holes and,” he gestured towards one of the jagged stone pillars that had burst through one of his chasms, “whatever those things are.” He finished with a slight huff. “I want it to go away.”

Musa knew exactly how that felt.

She had spent years wishing for the same thing.

But something her mother had often told her echoed in her mind.

“There are some things we can’t change. Even with magic.” She paused as she felt him sigh against her. There was sadness within, but also a faint glimmer of peace.

That was something, at least.

“You’ll get through this, Sam,” she promised.

“We’ll get through this together.” 


	3. Wings Part I

She probably should have stayed in the suite to celebrate with her roommate. But Terra had enough support from the others and they had all gathered around, gushing with emotion and excitement. 

It had been a lot for Musa to take in and, as the quiet one, she probably wouldn’t have gotten a word in anyway. 

When she had seen Terra rush into the main room sporting a pair of glistening green wings her thoughts had instantly gone to someone else. She was happy for her friend (and a touch jealous, if truth be told)- but it was Sam who came to the forefront of her mind. 

Ever since Bloom’s first transformation, other fairies had been getting their wings seemingly at random. No one knew when (or if) they could expect the transformation to strike, but Musa reasonsed that there was a decent chance that people within the same family might be struck at similar times. Stella has received hers a few hours before her mum. And she’d heard about two twin sisters a year above them getting their wings at the exact same moment. 

Sam and Terra weren’t twins, but they were siblings. Musa had to wonder.

So she had slipped away, silently and unnoticed, and made her way through the old corridors to the narrow stairwell that led down to Sam’s private dorm. 

All that stood between them now was an old oak door. And a nervous knock. 

“Sam, it’s me.” She said, rapping against the threshold as she approached. A quick scan with her senses told her that he was there. And one feeling stood out against all others: sadness. 

She felt her stomach curl uncomfortably as her heartbeat began to increase. 

Sam hardly ever radiated sadness. 

Maybe she has been right. 

“I know you’re there, Sam. I can feel you,” she paused, straining her ears for any sound of movement. “But unlike you I can’t walk through doors so open up.” 

Still, there was nothing. Musa let out a soft sigh. 

They were usually so open with each other. It was something she valued about their relationship. She’d helped him gain control over his new powers, he had helped her through the anniversary of her mother’s death. He was always there when she needed him after a hard day. 

She knew that Sam had not been looking forward to gaining his wings but she hoped this would not be the thing that made him push her away. She didn’t want him to struggle through anything alone. 

She knew from experience that was never the best way. 

“Sam, please.” 

Her voice was barely a whisper, but there was a sudden sound of footsteps followed by the click of the lock. 

He didn’t say anything, but she took that as her cue to come in. Cautiously, heart still pounding, she opened the door. 

The light was dim in the underground room but it only took a few seconds to adjust. 

Within moments, she could see that she had been correct. 

Sam was sitting on the foot of his bed, his head hanging down to avoid her gaze.

And it was probably a good thing that he wasn’t looking at her. Musa was quite certain that her face conveyed her shock at the sight of the large green wings on her boyfriend’s back. 

They were big. And the slight glow they emitted was enhanced by the dimly lit room. The pattern seemed to emulate the veins of a leaf and she was instantly filled with thoughts of a vibrant spring.

It was a beautiful sight. But it was also apparent that Sam was not pleased by this new development. 

Musa tried to quickly suppress her awe and admiration as she latched back onto his sadness. 

“It happened.” She stated matter of factly, trying the break the stifling silence. “Are you okay?” 

There was a pause before Sam shrugged, finally looking up towards her. It was clear that he was trying to put on a brave face.

“I’ll survive,” he replied, trying (and failing) to force a smile. “It is what it is.” 

That was true, of course. 

“That doesn’t mean you have to feel okay, though. You’re allowed to be upset.” 

He looked towards a long crack that had appeared on the stone floor. 

“Don’t worry, I let some of my emotions out,” he said, shifting a bit on the bed. “But there is nothing else I can really do, is there? This is weird and strange and unwanted- but I was born a fairy and I can’t change what I am.” 

He fluttered his wings slowly as if to emphasize that point. 

It was a very Sam response. He was a calm realist. Another thing she loved about him. 

Still, she had to wonder. 

“Does that mean you would change it, if you could?” Magic was wonderful and fascinating. And neither of them had ever known anything else. But her recent trip to the other world with Bloom and the girls had made her wonder what another life would be like. Her powers could be a burden at times and the magical world was small compared to what lay beyond the barrier. 

“I don’t know,” he began thoughtfully, making space for her as she slowly moved to sit beside him on the bed. She perched on the edge, careful not to brush against the delicate looking wings. “I’ve never even been to the human world, so I doubt I’d do very well there.” Sam chuckled softly at the thought. “I guess I’ve always felt a bit off. Dad and Terra love earth magic, but I’ve just never been as enthralled. And Sky was the only other kid around here when we were growing up. I usually did other stuff with him while they were in the greenhouse. When I was seven, I remember asking my dad if I could do specialist training instead when I got older and he thought I was kidding. He laughed and told me that fairies need to focus on their magic,” the boy let out a quiet breath, “I wasn’t kidding, though. That was the day it really hit me- we don’t get much say over our lot in life. I’ve always done my best to accept that and roll with it, but sometimes it’s hard.” 

There was another pause.

“Today is one of the harder days. After I changed I looked in the mirror and I felt more disconnected than I ever have.” She could see him glance briefly towards the mirror on the opposite wall before quickly looking away again. “I feel like some sort of creature from a storybook. I’ve always known what I am but I never really thought...”

Musa felt an overwhelming urge to hug him, but that seemed awkward in his current form. 

She’d never expected to see fairy wings either. They had long been the stuff of myths and legends, lost in time. And yet, here they were now. 

One by one, everyone around her seemed to be changing. 

“Have you figured out how to mask them yet?” Musa asked, hoping that would help. “Bloom says the best way is to close your eyes and picture your regular form. It sounds easy enough.” 

“Okay.” Sam said softly as he gave a slight nod. 

He drew a breath and shut his eyes tightly, clearly trying to rid himself of his new feature. 

Secretly, Musa was grateful for one last chance to openly admire the sight before her. She understood his trepidation, and it was certainly strange to see him like this- but as her eyes traced the gleaming green outline of his wings she was struck by the stunning beauty of it all. 

He always managed to take her breath away. But in that moment, she was nearly overwhelmed with awe. 

To her, he was perfect. 

She hoped that one day he would be able to feel a fraction of what she felt. 

The green began to fade and, moments later, the last flicker of his wings disappeared from view. 

Sam opened his eyes and she saw the final green specks fade from them was well as his magical task was completed. 

“Did I do it?” He asked, straining his head to catch a glimpse of his back. “It feels like I did it.” 

Musa felt his relief. 

She nodded with an encouraging smile. 

She was happy for him. 

But secretly, she hoped that his wings would not stay hidden for long.


	4. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reviews greatly appreciated :)

Family dinner. 

It wasn’t really something Musa had done much growing up. After her dad had left, it had just been her and her mum. And her mum had always been prone to illness, even before her final one. Musa was used to fending for herself, eating a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal whenever she got hungry. 

But Sam’s family was very different. Apparently, they always used to have dinner together. That had changed a bit now that Sam and Terra were living in the dorms, but Ben Harvey still insisted on having his children over to the little greenhouse cottage for Sunday dinner. 

And this week, Musa had been invited. 

She wasn’t exactly nervous. Professor Harvey wasn’t an intimidating man, and she knew Terra pretty well at this point. But it did feel weird to sit around the small wooden table that evening. 

It was so warm and cozy in the Harvey’s cottage. A small fire crackled in the stone fireplace, there were plants everywhere and vines snaked along the walls, interspersed with family photographs and other trinkets. It was everything a family home should be, but nothing like the homes Musa was used to. She felt as if she simply didn’t belong in a place like this. 

But she wanted to be part of Sam’s life and he had invited her with the sweetest nervous smile. There was no way she ever would have said no. 

Perhaps it was only a matter of time before she got used to gatherings like this. 

“Squash?” Terra asked as she passed Musa a large dish that her father had just placed on the table. 

Professor Harvey, it turned out, was quite the chef. He’d made a variety of delicious looking foods- though Musa had noticed that almost everything seemed to be entirely made of vegetables. (She had assumed that a Sunday roast would involve some sort of roast meat, but that did not seem to be the case in the Harvey household). Nevertheless, it smelled great and she happily scooped some of the squash onto her plate. 

Although she was the mind fairy, it seemed as if Ben had read her thoughts. 

“I hope it’s not too many vegetables for you, Musa.” He said with a warm smile. “As I’m sure Sam has told you, earth fairies tend to have a taste for these sorts of things. I only know how to cook vegetarian, I’m afraid.” 

Sam hadn’t mentioned that (though she’d eaten with his more than enough times to notice his love of salads). 

“I’m easy,” she declared, returning the smile. “I’ve never been a picky eater and it all looks great, Professor Harvey.” 

“It’s just Ben when you’re here,” the man replied warmly. “After all you’ve done for us, Musa, you’re basically family now. No formalities necessary.” 

She felt Sam squeeze her hand gently under the table and she felt a surge of warmth wash over her. While his father and sister didn’t share Sam’s uniquely calming aura, they did both radiate kindness and acceptance in a rather remarkable way. These were good people, and Musa was honoured to be welcomed in in such a way. 

She’d never had much of a family herself. 

Mum had tried her best, but being a mind fairy had often gotten the better of her. She’d barely been able to stabilize herself, let alone provide stability for her daughter. 

Musa secretly worried that the same fate lay in store for her. But being with Sam these past few months had filled her with a new hope. Her mother had never had anyone as beautifully stable and comforting as Sam to anchor her.

“Alright then, Ben it is,” she conceded with another smile. 

As they dug into the food conversation turned to school and classes. Musa told them about her second term electives. Terra told them about a paper she was working on for her botany class (Sam looked bored while her father beamed proudly). Then, Ben asked Sam how his new combat course was going. 

She instantly felt her boyfriend stiffen beside her. As Musa already knew, Sam hated the newly mandatory class. Fairies in second year and above were now expected to engage in training with the specialists once a week- one of Rosalind’s suspicious new policies. No one knew why there was a sudden push in this direction and many suspected that something ominous was brewing. Fairies had never been forced to fight before and most, like Sam, were not naturals at it. 

“Am I allowed to talk openly or does Rosalind have this place bugged?” Sam asked half-jokingly with a dark scoff. Ben shifted uncomfortably. It was no secret to those who knew him that he hated the new regime as well. But it was simply too risky to speak out. He’d have been thrown in a cell to rot as quickly as Silva had been. 

“You know you’re safe here.” The man replied gently as he looked sympathetically towards his son. “I did sort of think you’d enjoy it though, Sam. When you were little, you used to ask me if you could train like a specialist one day.” 

Sam let out a deep breath. That was true, as he had told her before. And Sam HAD been kind of excited about the new class before it had actually started.

But now, after two weeks of it, the hard truth had begun to sink in. 

“Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you were right dad,” Sam stated with a defeated shrug. “I’m terrible at it. Pretty much all the fairies in my class are. We’re too used to fighting with magic and most of us just don’t have the physical instincts for regular combat.” 

Musa had felt his pain after every session, and (after a bit of convincing) he had allowed her to ease his pain a bit. Andreas was a ruthless trainer, and dairies were forbidden from using their magic during the sessions. Something that, it turned out, was harder than expected. 

“I’m going to fail the class,” the boy continued with a small frown. “We’re not supposed to use any magic but my new power is still a bit unpredictable sometimes, especially when I panic,” he trailed off for a moment before hesitantly continuing. “I ended up in Rosalind’s office Thursday after I destroyed part of the training field with an earthquake.” 

Terra’s eyes widened and Ben looked rather shocked. “No one told me,” he said quietly, his concern apparent. 

Sam shrugged. “She let me off this time, but apparently there will be some sort of consequence if it happens again.” He paused, “I want to know why the headmistress is so focused on having us fight without our powers. What exactly is she planning here?”

Musa watched as Ben’s brow furrowed with worry and she could feel his deep concern. 

“I wish I knew.” The older man muttered, looking down towards the table. “We should do some training together after classes tomorrow, Sam. I know your control has gotten a lot better but we can keep practicing. You need to avoid crossing the wrong people as much as possible.” 

It looked as if Sam wanted to protest but he simply nodded. “Fine.” He agreed. 

In a lot of ways, it was lucky that his dad was the most skilled earth fairy on campus. He’d done a lot to help Sam hone his powers and Musa was glad that there was more he could do. 

She agreed with Sam. Something was coming, and they had to do everything they could to be ready for it. 

“And maybe we could go flying on Tuesday!” Terra cut in excitedly, clearly trying to lighten the subject. Musa could feel her nervous energy. 

“Stella was telling me that the views over the west river are stunning at sunset. I’d love to see it.” 

“That sounds great, sweetheart,” Ben instantly agreed as he helped himself to another serving of the beetroot salad. “I don’t know about you guys, but ever since I got my wings I’ve been feeling rather antsy if I don’t stretch them out every few days. My back feels terrible. I’ve read a bit about it, actually. Ancient fairies made note of the same thing. Apparently one should fly at least once every three days for optimum wing health. They’re not meant to be hidden away for too long.” 

There was a heavy pause as he looked towards Sam and Musa, clearly waiting for an answer. 

“I wish I could join you,” Musa said with a small pang of jealousy. 

She still hadn’t received her wings and seemed to be one of the last on campus. One of her grandfathers had been human- she’d secretly started to wonder if she never would. 

“Oh that’s right, I’m sorry Musa,” Ben said apologetically, “Sam did mention last week that you’re still waiting for your wings to come in. Don’t worry, I’m sure it will happen any day now.” 

“Yeah,” Musa agreed, hoping that she was masking her worry. “Probably.” 

“I’d give you mine if I could,” Sam quipped as he gave her a reassuring pat on the leg. He hadn’t spoken about his wings much in the weeks since they’d appeared, but Musa knew that he still wasn’t thrilled about the whole thing. 

Across the table, Terra rolled her eyes. 

“Sam won’t even show me his wings,” she said with a frustrated sigh. “I think you’re still the only one who has seen them, Musa.” 

Despite herself, Musa tried not to blush at the memory. She’d never admitted it to him, but she loved picturing Sam in his fairy form. It was often the last image that filtered through her mind as she drifted off to sleep at night. 

“Nope,” Sam countered, narrowing his eyes back at his sister. “Musa...and my entire combat class.” 

Terra almost choked on her drink and Sam’s father looked over, perplexed. 

The boy scowled slightly at the memory. Musa remembered how shaken he’d been after that first disastrous day of training. She’d even heard a few of the specialists muttering about the “fairy boy” after that- not that she’d shared this with Sam. 

“The first time one of the specialists knocked me off the platform I didn’t exactly fall,” Sam confessed, grimacing at the memory. “I was falling...and then I wasn’t. Next thing I knew I was back where I started. It was all instinctual and it all happened so fast that it took me a while to figure out what happened.” He sighed. “Riven and his buddies had a good laugh at the sparkly green fairy.” 

“Jerk,” Terra muttered, scowling darkly. “Those idiots are just jealous. They wish they had our magic.” 

That was probably true, but it didn’t make it any better. Sam liked to stay under the radar, and that had been pretty hard when he’d involuntarily spouted wings in front of his (mostly human) class. 

“I don’t care what they think,” Sam said honestly. “But I also don’t really want to go flying around campus, sorry Ter. You guys have fun.” 

His sister sighed, clearly backing off more quickly than she would have if he hadn’t shared the story. 

“Fine,” she gave in uncharacteristically quickly, “but I bet you’ll change your tune when Musa gets her wings.” The girl let out a dreamy sigh. “You guys can have the most romantic dates, flying off together.” 

Although she was talking about them Musa could tell that her friend was dreamily picturing herself doing the same. 

“God, I wish there were more male fairies,” Terra muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. 

Sam laughed while Ben shook his head, amused. 

No one knew why, but females were statically more common amongst their species. There had always been more female fairies than male. It was strange, but it had always been the way. 

Musa knew that she was extremely lucky to have found someone who could truly understand her. To make her feel at home.

And Terra was right, she was secretly looking forward to the day when they could finally fly...


	5. First World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy! Reviews greatly appreciated!

His initial impression was that the First World really wasn’t much different from what he was used to back home.

When he and Musa had crossed through the barrier earlier that day they had ended up in some sort of large park (Hyde Park, Musa had informed him). There were people out on leisurely strolls, people walking quickly as they talked into their phones, young couples picnicking in the grass—there was nothing shocking or unsettling about the place.

Sam wasn’t really sure what he had been expecting to find.

He’d never been to the human world before, but he _had_ read a lot about it. He knew that they had a few technologies that weren’t available in the Otherworld. And obviously people didn’t study or use magic there. But everyone looked (and even sounded) the same.

Musa had been to London before so she happily took on the role of guide as they began to explore the city. They had walked down several leafy streets, admired the beautiful buildings and stopped into a couple of shops and cafes for food and souvenirs.

London was definitely busier and more populated than what he was used to. But he’d been to some busy parts of Solaria before. Sam didn’t mind a crowd— it was nice to simply blend in and go with flow. He liked being part of it.

It felt good to get away from Alfea for a bit. There had been such tension in the air since Professor Dowling’s disappearance and he did not miss the sight of Rosalind’s lackeys circling the grounds. Last week, when he and Musa had tried to go for an evening stroll outside, he was pretty sure that they had been followed. No one, not even his dad, seemed to know what was going on right now. The only thing Sam knew for certain was that a storm was brewing.

But here, walking down a quiet street interspersed with humans, all of that felt like it was far away. The haze had lifted and, for this short time, they could simply enjoy a day out together.

“So, what do you think?” Musa asked, looking up towards him with a wide smile. He was certain that she had sensed the direction of his thoughts.

She seemed more relaxed than usual and, despite the crowds, hadn’t raised her headphones at all that afternoon. It had been wonderful to hear her talk and laugh so freely.

“I like it,” he replied quickly, a matching smile on his face. “It really doesn’t seem that different. And I feel so…anonymous. In a good way.”

She nodded, clearly understanding what he meant. He continued.

“The Otherworld is beautiful, and it is the only home I know. But this is just…easy.”

Musa laced her hand with his before giving it a gentle squeeze. She knew that it hadn’t always been ideal for him growing up around campus while his father worked. Terra and Sky were the only other kids around and every student and teacher who passed through those halls knew about the Harvey kids. It had been like growing under a microscope sometimes.

Finally becoming a student himself was a relief but things still weren’t perfect. He lived in his father’s shadow and most people assumed he would follow a similar path—he seemed destined to become some sort of magical expert, a prominent and powerful earth fairy. Until his most recent power surge, he had hoped that the expectation looming over him would fade due to his underwhelming magical abilities. But now, apparently, he was one of the most powerful earth fairies around, just like the generations of Harveys that came before him. Teaching others to hone their abilities was the natural path.

But Sam didn’t know if that was really for him.

Sure, academics had always come naturally. But he also loved music and writing. He even dabbled in art from time to time. Creating something felt far more appealing. 

All of these thoughts were probably fruitless, however. Rosalind seemed intent on melding everyone into warriors all of a sudden and it was probably only a matter of time until they were all conscripted into some terrible war.

Sam hated the thought of it.

Although he had once dreamed of perfecting the daring moves of the specialists, the last few months had shown him that was _not_ his path either. He was still laughably terrible at it, as his opponents liked to point out whenever possible. He’d been knocked on his ass more times than he cared to count.

It often felt like his options in the magical world were limited.

And, he supposed, that was were the real contrast with the First World lay.

London was so big. Brimming with unknown possibilities. He had no idea how many different human careers there were or how many different kinds of lives the people here led. It was an exhilarating thought.

“When you used to come here for visits as a kid, did you ever wish you could stay?” Sam asked, glancing towards his girlfriend as the rounded the corner onto another quaint shopping street. The sun was starting to set now and he could feel that their time here was coming to an end. They had barely managed to secure a day pass and he didn’t want to know what would happen if they returned to campus late.

Musa paused thoughtfully. “I don’t know,” she began slowly. “I guess sometimes I did. Most of my happiest memories with my mum involved visits to the first world. It always felt like a special treat to come here.” She smiled sadly at the thought and Sam hoped he hadn’t forced her to dredge up too many childhood recollections. He knew the loss of her mother was still so fresh and he always tried to tread carefully when talking about her past.

“Why?” Musa asked, turning the question back to him, “do you wish we could stay?”

Sam shrugged, wondering if she could sense his growing yearning. “There is a certain appeal to it,” he said honestly. “Everything seems so mysterious and terrible at Alfea right now. People are missing. I almost died after being scratched by an ancient magical creature last term. Rosalind is training us for some sort of unknown war.” He sighed as Musa shifted at his side, clearly unsettled by the thoughts as well. “It just feels like humans have it easy. We could come to a place like this and just be us. Make our own choices, away from it all.” 

“It is a nice thought,” Musa agreed softly, her hand still intertwined with his. “But we’re fairies, Sam. This isn’t our world. Everyone we know and care about is back home. We’re trained in magic and spells and potions—we have no qualifications to do anything here. Besides, humans don’t have it as easy as we think. They have challenges too. Just different ones.”

She was thorough and logical, as always. Sam gave her a gentle smile.

“I know, you’re probably right. I’m not seriously considering it,” he paused briefly, “it’s just nice to dream, I guess. Maybe in another lifetime.”

He tried his best to shrug nonchalantly but, as Musa led them back towards the park chatting happily about their plans for the upcoming weekend Sam felt a small pit forming in the bottom of his stomach.

He knew that she was right, but that didn’t make the glimmers of envy and longing disappear. Maybe he would stay if he could. Maybe he could blend in and be one of them.

Simple and free.

He tried his best to shake the errant thoughts from his head before Musa could sense his altered mood. It was silly to even think about it. Musa was right. And, as recent weeks had made painfully clear, he was definitely not human.

Humans didn’t walk through walls.

Or cause earthquakes.

…or sprout wings and fly. 

All day he had been telling himself that they looked ‘just like him,’ but that wasn’t really true. If these peaceful people in the park saw what he truly was, he’d be locked away for life. Studied and dissected as a freak.

He shuddered at the thought. 

It was foolish to think that he could ever truly fit in here. It was amazing that Bloom as survived as long as she had, concealed amongst the humans. But even that had ended with a dangerous outburst of magic.

No fairy could contain their magic forever, that was simply a fact. And wings added an entirely new layer to it all. As his father had pointed out a few weeks ago, it turned out that it was uncomfortable to keep them concealed for too long. Sam still hadn’t voluntarily shown his in public but he found himself unveiling them in the privacy of his dorm for a few hours every couple of days just to stretch them out. When he didn’t give into the urge, it felt as if his back was crawling with fire ants.

No, he could never truly be like them, no matter how much he might wish things were different.

“You’re the earth fairy, you do the spell.” Musa said, handing him the smooth white stone they had used to make their trip here. She gave him a pointed look and he had to wonder if she had sensed some of his thoughts.

Musa was much better at being a fairy than he was and she probably thought he was being silly.

They were hidden in a small grove of trees now, safely concealed from view in the spot they had first arrived. 

The stone seemed to buzz in his hand as soon as she passed it to him. He felt the magic of it flow through his body. It was a soothing feeling. Earth magic. Warm and familiar. 

He did his best to push his earlier thoughts away.

“Ready?” He asked as he allowed the magic around them to slowly build. Sam took one last glance around the human world, this time through flashing green eyes.

“Ready,” Musa said, holding him tight. “Let’s go home.” 


End file.
